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Arriving at University Prepared

It is often a difficult task for young people to choose the right university course. They may have many and varied interests or they may not have studied some pre-requisite subjects at high school for a course they want to study.

We recommend that parents take an active interest in their children's course choices, encouraging them to research their preferred courses and subjects, and then guiding them in their decisions. The knowledge gained will help your young adult to become well-informed on what the courses and subjects cover and whether they have the interest or the background knowledge to complete the required work.

It is our experience that sometimes young people choose a course that will not hold their interest, or they find it is more academically oriented than practical which is not what they wanted. For example: Sport and Exercise Science includes science and medically-oriented subjects which may not appeal to a person who expects a more practical emphasis, or a Business degree may require a person to undertake an accounting subject which may not appeal to the student who did not enjoy maths at high school.

Good choices made at the start of their University study are more likely to lead to good grades and lessen the likelihood that students will need to withdraw from a course or subject because they did not do well or because they did not have the required aptitude.

Is there someone in your local community who could discuss with your young adult the professional career they have chosen and the academic practicalities involved in the university course? This extra information will assist your young person in making an informed decision about their course of study.

Before your young adult attends the College for the first time they will be contacted by the Residential Assistant from the floor where they will reside. The purpose of this is for the RA to introduce themselves and give answers to questions from a student's perspective about what to expect when coming to University and to the College.